The Right Bag for Compost Tea
Learn the right materials for compost tea bags.
The finished keyhole and flower garden, freshly planted
Bill Mollison – Father of Permaculture
You may have heard that Bill Mollison, considered one of the fathers of Permaculture, passed away this week. He lived from 1928-2016 and saw, I imagine, dramatic changes in our ecosystem during his lifetime. This Australia native spent his life teaching the principles of Permaculture to thousands if not millions. Through his work, his legacy lives on. I never had the chance to meet Bill Mollison, nor take any of his classes (though running away to Australia for a Permaculture…
Get your own tasting wheel from UC Davis.
Honey Tasting Tips
While attending the Heirloom Expo 2016 we discovered there would be a honey competition, that is to say, a contest for the best tasting honey. Since we are at or near honey harvesting time, it's appropriate to share a few tips if you plan to have your own honey tasting this fall. Honey tasting is fun, but more complex than you might expect. To keep it light, you can score the results from "best tasting" to "not so much." Judging …
Rosemary Slug Barrier
Tips from Melinda Barnett of Stanwood, Washington in Mother Earth News Magazine
Monarchs love all the flowers on site.
Wordless Wednesday: Esalen Garden
If you've never been to the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, you need to do whatever it takes to get there. The Esalen Farm and Garden encompasses all the best of biointensive agriculture, beauty, and spiritual connection to the land. It's a must see. If you can't add it to your itinerary soon, here are some photos to tempt you.
When to Harvest Garden Vegetables
This blog post is brought to you by the Home Garden Seed Association at EZfromSeed.org. If you don't know when to harvest your summer crops, here's a helpful guide: You put your time and energy into growing tomatoes, greens, zucchini, and other vegetables from seed. So of course you want to harvest them at their absolute best. But it’s not always easy to know when that is. Picking at peak flavor is essential. Read below to find HGSA's top tips…
The squash tower reigns supreme over all other displays.
Wordless Wednesday: Heirloom Expo 2016
It's beautiful up here at the Heirloom Expo 2016. There is so much to see, so I'll just leave it to the photos to explain. And we have to finish with the squash tower, a mainstay of the Heirloom Expo:
The pumpkin (ours anyway) was only about 8 inches in diameter.
Harvesting Silver Edge Pumpkin Seeds
I fell in love with Silver Edge pumpkin seeds the moment I laid eyes on them. This Mexico native squash wins every beauty contest when it comes to seeds. They're enormous, they're exotic and they have a shiny SILVER EDGE! What could be better? Well...this: they taste delicious. Silver Edge pumpkins are not grown for the flesh, which is allegedly unpalatable, they are grown for the seeds. Traditionally used in pipian sauce, a green mole-type sauce without the chocolate, Silver…